Concord Clashes with Davis & Elkins in Pivotal Home Game

Concord Stats - Davis & Elkins Stats - Live Stats - Live Video - Complete Game Notes

ATHENS, W.Va. - The Concord University men's basketball team returns to the Carter Center for the first time in 37 days when it hosts Davis & Elkins in a crucial Mountain East Conference contest 4:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Concord University Sports Information Department will have live statistics and live video of the game. 

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SERIES HISTORY: Concord leads 51-29

LAST FIVE MEETINGS VERSUS DAVIS & ELKINS
February 18, 2023: Davis & Elkins 84 - Concord 83 (Elkins, W.Va.)
January 14, 2023: Concord 86 - Davis & Elkins 73 (Athens, W.Va.)
February 19, 2022: Concord 88 - Davis & Elkins 78 (Athens, W.Va.)
January 15, 2022: Davis & Elkins 80 - Concord 65 (Elkins, W.Va.)
March 1, 2021: Concofd 107 - Davis & Elkins 102 (2OT) (Athens, W.Va.)

CONCORD AT A GLANCE
Overall Record: 8-2
MEC Record: 4-2
Home Record: 3-1
Away Record: 4-1
Neutral Record: 1-0

BENCH MOB
Concord's top two scorers at West Virginia Wesleyan came off the bench as junior forward Amare Smith netted 14 points in 22 minutes in a reserve role. Junior guard Corey Boston provided 12 points, one off his career high, and provided a career best four steals, in the 80-69 win over WVWC. It marked the second time this season that Concord had its top two scorers come off the bench after Boston (13) and freshman guard Georges Archer (12) tied for the team lead in scoring at Salem. In all, CU tallied 39 bench points versus the Bobcats Wednesday night. The Maroon and Gray has topped 35 bench points in the last three games—the longest streak of 35 or more bench points since November 2013 when Concord averaged 39.6 bench points per game against Bluefield State, Notre Dame and Urbana.

RUN 'EM OFF THE LINE
After allowing Fairmont State to shoot 40 percent from three-point range last Friday, the Mountain Lions recovered to hold West Virginia Wesleyan to 3-for-16 (18.6 percent) from beyond the arc Wednesday. The three triples made by Wesleyan tied a season-low for fewest allowed by CU, and the 16 attempts were the least amount attempted against the Maroon and Gray in 2023-24. Concord leads the MEC in three-point percent defense (30.4) and is ranked 33^rd nationally. Both of Concord's losses this season have come when it surrenders 10 or more made three-pointers. Dating back to the start of the 2022-23 campaign, the Mountain Lions are 17-6 when they hold the opposition to single-digit makes from three-point distance, including going 7-0 this season.

IRON MEN
In a game where no Mountain Lion played more than 28 minutes, senior guard Jordan Wooden led Concord in minutes played at West Virginia Wesleyan for the second straight game. The Roanoke, Virginia native is fourth in the conference in minutes played per game (31.5) while senior guard JJ Harper is fifth in the MEC in minutes played (31.3). Back to Wooden, he led CU in outright rebounding for the first time this season—Wooden tied for the team lead in rebounding versus Charleston—with a season-best eight rebounds at West Virginia Wesleyan. Wooden also tied his season high in assists with a team-high four at WVWC. More than likely on Saturday, Wooden will be asked to guard one of the toughest covers in the MEC in D&E point guard Sam Rolle (17.7 points, 5.8 assists).

FIND YOUR EFFICIENCY
Even though Concord and Davis & Elkins combine to score more than 160 points per game, Saturday's contest could be won on the defensive end. Along with CU's stingy three-point defense, the Mountain Lions are leading the league in scoring defense (73.2) and are second in overall field-goal defense (40.6 percent). But, Davis & Elkins owns the best field-goal defense in the MEC (37.6) and is fifth in scoring defense (74.4). Additionally, the Senators are fourth in the conference in three-point defense (31.3). CU is a perfect 6-0 when it holds the opponent under 80 points and under 45 percent from the field. D&E is 6-1 when limiting the opponent to less than 80 points and under 45 percent shooting—the loss to West Liberty.

MEET AT THE RIM
Saturday's game will be a clash of the two best rebounding teams in the MEC. Concord leads both the conference and Division II in rebounding (46.9 per game). The Mountain Lions also possess the 11^th-best rebounding margin in Division II (+8.4). Davis & Elkins ranks seventh nationally in rebounds per game (42.2) while the Senators have a healthy rebounding margin of +5.1. The Mountain Lions attack the glass with a variety of players with six different players leading CU in single-game rebounding this season. Sophomore forward Rene Diop (6.6) is seventh in the MEC in rebounding, and sophomore guard Kollin Tolbert ranks eighth (6.3). Six different players enter Saturday averaging at least four rebounds per game. Meanwhile, D&E leans on Clarens Pierre (6.8) and Charleston Ponds (6.1) to average nearly 13 rebounds per game. Pierre is fifth in the conference in rebounding.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Dating back to a Concord road win in February 2020, the home team has won seven straight in the all-time series between CU and Davis & Elkins. Last January, the Mountain Lions ran out to a 55-37 halftime lead and never looked back in an 86-73 win. Harper scored 21 points while Smith added 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench in the victory. CU held a 46-31 rebounding margin in the game as well. At Davis & Elkins, Concord was unable to hang on to a 10-point lead in the final six minutes as the Senators won 84-83. Both offenses shot 50 percent from the field and the rebounding finished tied 32-32. Concord had a balanced day offensively. Fifth-year senior forward Jevon Laidler had 17 points and 11 rebounds while Diop and Harper both netted 15. Smith once again scored in double figures with 11 points. Three of the last six games between CU and D&E have been decided by one possession or gone to overtime.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
5- Career high tying rebounds for freshman forward Boubacar Djigo at Wesleyan with four coming on the offensive end.

14- Average points per game for Smith in four career games versus Davis & Elkins, including a career-best 28 two years ago.

23.7- Average points per game from Concord's bench this season.

DAVIS & ELKINS AT A GLANCE
Overall Record 9-4
MEC Record: 5-1
Home Record: 6-1
Away Record: 2-2
Neutral Record: 1-1

SCOUTING THE SENATORS
.The 19 wins that Davis & Elkins accumulated last season were the most since the 1949-50 season. Rolle needs 12 assists to reach 500 in his career. He ranks fourth among active Division II players in assists. Rolle also has 1,654 career points. Three of the four losses for the Senators this season have come away from the McDonnell Center. Along with Rolle, Tristan Starks (12.4) and Vadim Clanet (12.3) score in double figures. And both players shoot at least 40 percent from three-point distance. Davis & Elkins shoots the ball at a 46.1-percent clip, third in the MEC.